The Last Luna Standing

chapter 26

Tamara

I stood in the silence of the office for a long time even after she left. Elder Miko had walked past me without another glance, her robes brushing against my legs.

As she reached the door, she stopped for a brief second. She did not turn around, but her voice reached me clearly in the quiet room. She told me to leave if I couldn't do it before I got in too deep.Then she stepped out, leaving me entirely alone with the weight of her words.

I stayed still until the sound of her footsteps faded away. I wiped the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand and took a deep breath. I walked out of the office and went straight to my room.

I shut the door and sat on the edge of my bed. I felt completely lost. For weeks, I had convinced myself that I was growing stronger. I had told myself that I did not care what Serena or any other pack member thought of me, but I had lied to myself. The words of the elder proved that I was still the same girl who had first stepped into this territory. I felt like a failure.

The biggest question in my mind was the one she had left me with. Did North love me? I thought about the way he looked at me, the way he touched me, and the moments we shared in the cabin.

But was that love, or was it just the pull of the mate bond? I let the tears fall again, silently this time. I skipped lunch and did not come out for dinner. I just lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling until the world felt dark.

Sometime later, I heard a soft knock. It was Earth, but she did not try to open the door. She just left a plate of food on the floor outside and spoke through the wood. She told me she was there if I needed to talk and that she would give me space for the night.

She reminded me that training would go on as planned in the morning and that I better not dare skip it. I did not answer her. I just stared at the wall until I eventually drifted into a restless sleep.

I do not know how much time passed, but I was woken up by a soft scratching sound at my door. I sat up, alert. I could smell the familiar, earthy scent of my mate.

It was North, but it was not the man I usually saw. I opened the door and found his massive wolf standing there. His coat was thick and dark, and his golden eyes glowed with a wild, intense light.

He whined as he pushed his way into my room, his huge frame filling the small space. I could tell that his human side was pushed down and his wolf had complete control.

But I did not feel afraid of his size. Instead, I reached out and started to pet his soft fur. He leaned into my hand, his heavy head resting against my knee. I looked into his golden eyes and felt a strange calmness in my heart.

"Will your human ever look at me the way you do?" I whispered to him. "Am I truly worthy to fight?"

He answered with a soft whine, licking my hand and pushing his head harder into my palm.

A soft giggle escaped my lips, followed by a real, honest laugh. It was the first time I had truly laughed since I arrived at this pack.

He circled around me and curled up on the rug by my bed, acting like a protector guarding me. I crawled back into bed and reached down to keep my hand on his back. His presence made the room feel safe.

I thought about the path ahead of me. I realized that I had been waiting for North to save me or to validate me, but that was wrong.

If I wanted this, I had to do it for myself. I would give the Luna trials my very best effort. I would stop apologizing for who I was and start showing them exactly why the moon had chosen me.

I watched the rise and fall of his breathing as he slept. I still did not have the answer to whether he loved me or not, but I knew he was here right now.

He was staying with me in my most vulnerable moment, even if he did not know how to say the words.

I closed my eyes, feeling a newfound sense of peace. I decided right then that I would give this my all. I would become the woman this pack needed, not just for the title, but for the sake of the bond we shared.

I fell asleep with his massive wolf form pressed against the side of my bed, finally feeling a spark of hope. I hoped I was not making the biggest mistake of my life, but for now, I felt ready to face the world. I knew that whatever happened in the coming days, I would stand tall.

I would not let the elder Miko or Serena break me. I would prove that strength was not just about violence. It was about standing up after every fall, and I was finally ready to start standing.